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Quarterly Chronicle Volume 15, Number 3 Fall 2009

IN THIS ISSUE

¢ Bert Morris‘s War–Betty Warburton

¢ A Discovery in Brompton Cemetery, London, England–Caroline Herbert

¢ My First Genealogical Post-nominal–John D. Reid

¢ Push, Pull and Opportunity–Lucille Campey

¢ 2009 Annual General Meeting Report–Roy Thomas

British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa Founded and Incorporated in 1994 ñTelephone 613-234-2520 (Voice Mail) Mailing Address: BIFHSGO, PO BOX 38026, OTTAW A ON K2C 3Y7 CANADA E-mail: [email protected] Charitable Registration No. 89227 4044 RR0001 W eb Homepage: www.bifhsgo.ca

BIFHSGO Board of Directors–2009œ2010 The Society President Mary Anne Sharpe 613-562-4570 The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) is an independent, federally-incorporated Recording Secretary Ron Elliott 613-820-0285 society, and a Registered Charity (Reg. No. 89227 4044 Treasurer Cliff Adams 613-225-1519 RR0001). The purpose of BIFHSGO is to encourage, carry on and facilitate research into and publication of Research & Projects Brian Glenn 613-830-2948 family histories by people who have ancestors in the British Isles. Membership Sharon Moor 613-249-9062 The objectives of the Society are: to preserve, research Director (Communications) Betty Burrows 613-224-5769 and disseminate Canadian and British Isles family and Director (Publicity) vacant social history for the benefit of current and future generations; and to promote genealogical research Director (Programs) Jane Down 613-741-1463 through a program of public education that teaches people how to do research and how to preserve their Director (Education) Lesley Anderson 613-834-6477 findings in a readily accessible form. Past President W illis Burwell 613-727-0447 The activities of the Society are to: publish and disseminate genealogical research findings, as well as information on research resources and techniques; hold public meetings on family history; maintain readily Associate Directors–2009œ2010 accessible reference facilities; encourage volunteer participation in family history and genealogical research Function Nam e Associate to: activities; and participate in the activities of related organizations. Editor Anglo-Celtic Roots Chris MacPhail Director (Communications) Membership in the Society shall be available to persons W ebmaster Andy Coates Director (Communications) interested in furthering the objects of the Society and Publication Sales Brian Chamberlain Treasurer shall consist of anyone who submits an application for admission as a member accompanied by payment of the Librarian Betty W arburton Director (Education) applicable fees or dues. The 2009 calendar year fees for Membership are: $35 Individual; $45 Family; $35 Conference 2009 W illis Burwell Director (Programs) Chris MacPhail Institutional. Membership benefits include: the year‘s four Issues of Anglo-Celtic Roots; ten family history programs, Auditor Darrell Kennedy each of two hours‘ duration; up to six free queries a year; friendly advice from other members; participation in a special interest group that may be formed.

Anglo-Celtic Roots, Volume 15, Number 3, Fall 2009, ISSN 1201-3072

Published four times a year in March, June, September and December by the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and sent free to Members.

Indexed in the Periodical Source Index (PERSI). Editor: Chris MacPhail; Copy Editor: Jean Kitchen; Assistant Editor Layout: Carol-Anne Blore; Assistant Editor Photography: Ken W ood

Canadian Publication Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015222

Permission to reprint for non-profit use is granted to organizations and individuals, unless otherwise stated, provided the original source is credited. Articles accompanied by the copyright symbol (©) may not be reprinted or copied without the written permission of the author. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of BIFHSGO or its Officers. Commercial interests in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by BIFHSGO or its Officers.

W e invite readers to share family history articles, illustrations, letters, queries and similar items of interest by submitting them to Anglo-Celtic Roots. Manuscripts should be written in the style of story-telling or letter-writing, leaving it to the editor to adjust. Preferably, articles should be submitted on both paper and MS W ord compatible diskette, and addressed to: The Editor, BIFHSGO, PO Box 38026, OTTAW A ON K2C 3Y7. Contributors of articles are asked to include a brief biographical sketch of up to 10 lines, and a passport type and size photograph. They will be invited to certify that permission to reproduce any previously copyrighted material has been acquired. Authors are encouraged to provide permission for non-profit reproduction of their articles. The Editor reserves the right to select material to meet the interest of readers, and to edit for length and content. Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish a reply or return of material or, for out-of-country contributors, equivalent International Reply Coupons if you wish a reply or return of material.

Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall Issue 2009 Volume 15, Number 3

Contents

COLUM NS:...... ii Í Message from the President Í Note from the Editor

FAM ILY HISTORY RESEARCH Bert Morris‘s War–Betty Warburton...... 45 Brompton Cemetery–Caroline Herbert...... 54 My First Genealogical Post-nominal–John D. Reid...... 55 Push, Pull and Opportunity: Why Scots Emigrated to Canada–Lucille Campey...... 56

BIFHSGO NEW S AGM Report–Roy Thomas...... 60 First Steps Beginners‘ Course–Brian Glenn...... 61 Touchstones for Family Historians–Members of the BIFHSGO Writing Group...... 62

FAM ILY HISTORY SOURCES The Bookworm–Betty Warburton...... 64 The Printed Page–Gordon D. Taylor ...... 65

BIFHSGO LISTINGS ...... 66 Í Members‘ Surname Search–Elizabeth Kipp Í New Members–Sharon Moor

BIFHSGO CALENDAR OF EVENTS ...... Back Cover

Berks Cemetery Extension at Ploegsteert, Belgium, is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of World War I located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front. The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war. Source: Wikipedia

i

Message from the President, Mary Anne Sharpe We have had an amazing summer, with record rainfall, tornadoes and high winds, but also sunny, lazy days that sometimes make us regret the advent of autumn's cooler weather. On the other hand, there's more incentive to stay indoors and do research. BIFHSGO's fifteenth year has resulted in a harvest of successful programs, courses, and awards. Chris MacPhail journeyed to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend the National Genealogical Society's national conference, and to accept the NGS award for best newsletter. Congratulations to Chris and the ACR team for giving us an outstanding publication! The report of June's Annual General Meeting is in this issue of Anglo-Celtic Roots. Four new directors stepped up to assume positions on the Board. I thank them sincerely for volunteering to work actively on making this Society what it is–busy and successful. There is a lot of less visible work to be undertaken. We always need people to help out–please consider becoming a more active member of BIFHSGO and volunteering. Among other things, we need refreshment servers, voice-mail and e-mail answerers, and people to assume the duties of Librarian, Publicity Director and ACR editor. If you would like to shadow a current volunteer, in preparation for assuming full duties at a later date, please consider it. —Many hands make light work,“ as I have said before. By the time you read this, our Annual Fall Conference is either a few days away or already underway, its focus this year on Scotland. Based on the planned agenda and speakers‘ list, it's going to be another runaway success, starting with Charlotte Gray's Don Whiteside Memorial Lecture. Also by this time, the ground will have been broken at the new City of Ottawa Archives, where BIFHSGO'S library will move in spring 2010. We have built a society recognized for the work it does. BIFHSGO's regular monthly meetings and educational programs are well organized and attended. Our publications, both in the traditional media and in the newer media of CD and Internet, are highly regarded by our peers and by our members. People come to us for research and genealogical advice, because we are seen as credible and thorough. Other organizations, such as Library and Archives Canada, are pleased to partner with us. We want the next 15 years to be as successful. We need our members to become, and to continue to be, active in the business of the society–organizing, promoting, teaching, speaking, writing and researching. Please step up and do your part.

Note from the Editor, Chris MacPhail This issue features an article by Betty Warburton about the experiences of her father in World War I, based on his diary and a taped interview some 70 years later. While the diary describes the tedium and futility of the day-to- day activities of the average soldier, the interview offers a perspective on some of the unrecorded events, softened by the passage of time. The article illustrates the challenge of refining a wealth of detail while retaining a sense of history. As an introduction to the theme of the 2009 Fall Conference, Lucille Campey provides an explanation of both the social pressures in Scotland and the attractions of the New World in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that lead to widespread immigration and the resulting influences on Canadian society. In a somewhat lighter vein, John Reid discovers some interesting facts about a black sheep in his family, while Caroline Herbert discovers the rewards that come from digging deep for family roots. The Fall Conference will feature a workshop conducted by the Writing Group for those who wish to begin writing their family history but are unsure of how to go about it. A list of relevant examples and guides that will be used as references in the workshop may be found under BIFHSGO News.

ii Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 45

FAM ILY HISTORY RESEARCH

Bert M orris‘s W ar BY BETTY WARBURTON This account of her father‘s participation in World War I is based mostly on his diary, written in a very cryptic style that, of course, made sense to Bert but left his daughter struggling to fill the gaps. An online history of the 7th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment (1914œ1915) provided background and coherence to the diary account. A taped interview with his grandson Ronald Warburton added further details to this account. Quotations are copied unedited from this diary and contain many errors in punctuation, grammar and spelling. n the early years of the 7th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment was twentieth century, with organized in Kidderminster, his hometown, he did not I Germany and its Kaiser hesitate to join. Since, at 40, he was really too old to rattling swords, the War be a Territorial, he deleted a few years from his age. Office and the British Army His eldest child, my father Herbert (Bert) Basey were reorganized. The army Morris, three months shy of his 13th birthday, added a was provided with printed couple of years to his age and on 22 February 1909 official manuals, known as signed up as —a boy soldier.“ Field Service Regulations, which laid down in detail staff responsibilities and procedures. Regular Army battalions would provide garrison troops for the British Empire; troops garrisoned in the British Isles would provide a British Expeditionary Force in case of war. A Territorial Force would replace the Volunteers and Yeomanry and remain at home to defend the British Isles. To become a member of the Territorial Force, or —Saturday Night Soldier,“ the recruit needed to be between the ages of 17 and 35, have a minimum chest measurement of 33 inches, be at least five feet, two inches tall and be willing to enlist for a minimum of four years. He was obliged to attend 40 drills in his first year of enlistment; one hour for two days each week was set aside for recruit drill. Also he was required to take a course in musketry, i.e. training in firing a modern rifle, held on two afternoons through the summer months. The recruit was issued with a uniform–jacket and trousers of khaki serge, a stiff- topped peaked cap, puttees, leather-soled and studded —ammunition“ boots, a greatcoat, a waterproof cape and 1908 pattern webbing (woven canvas straps and Figure 1: H erb ert C . M o rris a n d H erb ert B . M o rris pouches). A blue stiff cap, blue frock tunic and Source: Author‘s collection trousers, with boots, buttons and badges polished to a One inducement to join the Territorial Army could brilliant shine, was the Territorial soldier‘s best parade have been the shilling a day a private received while or —walking out“ dress. embodied or on duty. (A corporal received 1s 8d, a Herbert Charles Morris, my grandfather, had served sergeant 2s 4d and a colour sergeant 3s 6d. For those with the British Army in India prior to his marriage to who attended camp there was an additional three Edith Jones in April 1895. Therefore when in 1908 the shillings —for wear and tear of boots.“) Herbert Charles

Page 46 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 Morris was a tailor, and as one of his granddaughters Ferdinand in June and Britain‘s declaration of war on euphemistically remarked, —He was a good tailor, but Germany in August meant the cancellation of the he drank the profits.“ He always attributed his shooting competitions for the duration of the war. alcoholism to his experiences with the British Army in India. In 1909, with six children to raise and another Training one expected that spring, the Morris family welcomed When Great Britain declared war on Germany and any additional income. As soon as young Bert Morris Austria on 4 August 1914 the battalion was enjoying turned 13 in the spring of 1909 and was eligible to its annual camp at Minehead on the Bristol Channel. leave school,1 he was expected to look for work. He The troops returned to Kidderminster by train the next quickly found employment as an errand boy in the day, then began to move eastward by stages towards showroom of the carpet factory of Charles Harrison & Essex and Suffolk to join the army gathering to defend Co. England from invasion via the North Sea. Both Bert and his father were among the eager volunteers for The reason Bert always gave for joining the Territorial overseas service when invited to do so on 11 August Army was that it offered him and his father a while the battalion stationed at Swindon. His father holiday–two weeks under canvas. The men in camp attempted to keep Bert out of the war by reporting to lived eight to a tent under the command of a non- his commanding officer that his son had lied and was commissioned officer. A typical day in camp began really two years under the required age. He was with reveille about 5:30 a.m. with biscuits and coffee reported to have said to his son, —You can stay and or tea, followed by drill or lectures until 8:00 a.m. look after your Mother.“ Young Bert‘s reply was, —No, After breakfast, served at 8:30 a.m., there were field that‘s your job,“ and promptly reported that his father and physical exercises until 1:30 p.m. The midday was overage. The result was that his father was meal was served at 2 p.m. and at 3 p.m. there was an assigned to a new —Second Line“ battalion named inspection of rifles and tents. Unless assigned a special 2/7th Worcestershire, which remained in England to duty the rest of the day belonged to the soldier. The defend against invasion. Young Bert joined his food was good and hearty and varied from day to day. comrades in the 1/7th Battalion, moving by way of Breakfast might include sausages, fried bread, butter, Stoney Stratford, Brentford and Danbury to Maldon in jam, coffee or tea. Tea was bread, butter, jam and tea. Essex. On arrival there on 19 September, the troops Dinner could include roast beef, potatoes and fruit were assigned billets in the town and began training pies. Some holiday! for battle. Camp life offered new places and new things to do and see. I am sure in their free time the soldiers availed themselves of whatever amenities nearby towns had to offer. During the summer of 1912, the 7th Battalion was stationed at the resort town of Swanage on the south coast. Unless he had been assigned a special duty such as peeling potatoes for dinner or cleaning latrines, I can imagine Bert heading for Swanage‘s beautiful sandy beach and a swim in the English Channel.2 Both men had been members of the town band and became members of the battalion‘s band, with Herbert Charles playing the clarinet and young Bert the cornet. Bert, with his keen eyesight and steady hand, soon established himself as a marksman. It was not long before he left the band, which he considered boring, Figure 2 : T ra in in g C a m p a t S w a n a ge and became a member of a machine gun section. By Source: Author‘s collection the time he was 16 he had qualified as a Machine At first, although most of Europe was involved in the Gunner First Class. During the summer of 1914, he conflict, the British public was optimistic that the war was eagerly looking forward to participating in the would be over by Christmas 1914. The German army 3 world-renowned shooting competitions at Bisley in advanced quickly into Belgium and northern France. Surrey. However the assassination of Archduke Franz By October, the war had spread to the Middle East

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 47 when Turkey declared war on the Allies (Britain, Some concerts were arranged to entertain the young France and Russia). The 2nd Battalion of the soldiers in their spare time. Twice Bert wrote about Worcestershire Regiment had been involved in the taking out a boat to explore the Blackwater River and bitter fighting around the town of Ypres in Belgium. its estuary on which Maldon was located. However On 31 October 1914, the battalion received orders to their chief entertainment appeared to be prowling the retake the village of Gheluvelt. Fighting was fierce and town looking for girls, then walking or —rushing“ them there were many casualties; of the 370 men who around the nearby villages of Beeleigh or Langford. participated in this action, 187 were killed or Letters and parcels from home were important to Bert, wounded. The counterattack was successful; Gheluvelt and in his diary he noted each one he received and was retaken and the German advance on Ypres each one he answered. In late February a letter from blocked.4 Casualties grew; the Territorial Force was home informed him that —Dad was home for 5 days called upon to reinforce the army in France. leave.“ It is evident, in spite of what his father said to During the autumn of 1914 the Territorial Battalions Bert, that neither one was at home to look after Bert‘s adopted the four-company organization of the regular mother. Edith Morris was probably receiving a regular army, replacing eight small companies. Bert Morris allowance from the pay of both her husband and son was assigned to —A“ Company with R. W. Hoare as and coping very well in their absence. his Lieutenant. At that time the 1/7th Battalion was part of the Gloucester and Worcester Brigade, South To France Midland Division; in April 1915, the battalion was About the middle of March, —A“ Company was attached to the 18th Brigade; then in May 1915 it subjected to a medical examination and new webbing became part of the 144th Brigade, 48th Division. equipment and boots were issued. Bert spent 29 March packing limbers all day. He took time to weigh himself While he was stationed at Maldon, young Bert started 6 and his kit and notes that he weighed —10 stone 10 to keep a diary. The first brief entry on Saturday, 16 lbs. and kit weighs 60 lbs.“ At 4:30 a.m. the next January 1915, read: morning, transport (limbers, horses, and men, Joined Company this morning & went on attack including Bert Morris) entrained at East Maldon at Woodham Mortimer. Ration orderly today. Station for Southampton. There they boarded the SS I surmise that Bert had just returned from leave in Archimedes and left that evening for Le Havre, France. Kidderminster, since he notes the following It was not a comfortable voyage. The only place for Wednesday that the —rest of the [machine gun?] the men to sleep was the rusty iron deck. The channel section went home on leave.“ If so, it was the last he was rough and there was concern about attacks by saw of his family and his last leave until February German submarines. Bert discovered he was one of 1916. those fortunate souls not affected by seasickness. The entries for the next few weeks record routine After landing early the next morning, they left Le activities that included route marches, church parades, Havre by train in cattle cars, finding what comfort they practice drills and sick leave. could by sitting on —saddlery.“ They ate whatever rations they carried in their kit and whenever the train On 26 January he noted, —Turned all lights out in stopped at a siding they got coffee and biscuits. Late Maldon in expectation of Zeppelin Raid.“ Everyone the next day they were joined by the rest of the must have been feeling a bit edgy because, on 10 battalion, which had travelled by way of Folkestone January, German aeroplanes had been sighted over the and Boulogne. They arrived at Cassel about 8 p.m. and English Channel and on 19 January, there had been a from there marched to Hardifort, which they reached German air raid over Norfolk. at 1 a.m. Bert Morris and the 1/7th Worcestershire A great deal of time was spent cleaning equipment– Battalion had arrived in France. rifles, machine guns and limbers.5 Because the success of operations and the lives of everyone depended on Ploegsteert equipment being in good working order, everything They marched the 21 miles from Hardifort to La was inspected carefully by officers. Bert wrote about Becque over cobblestone roads in the pouring rain. route marches, bayonet drills, firing on the rifle range, They were now close to the front, and Bert comments digging trenches and field operations. that he —saw fireworks at night from trenches and heard rifle fire.“ He also notes in his diary that he

Page 48 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 suffered a bit from sore feet. In fact, he admitted years later that his new boots were full of blood and he was An infantry soldier‘s kit included: so tired he fell asleep on the barn floor and woke up ñ Webbing (consisting of a belt and hours later to discover he was still wearing his pack. It braces with many buckles and clips) was another five days before they moved from La with two multipocketed carriers to Becque to Armentières and found billets in the old hold 150 rounds of ammunition barracks. ñ A haversack containing rations and cutlery During this period, soldiers who had endured the ñ A bayonet scabbard winter in the trenches initiated the newcomers into the ñ A waterbottle routine of trench warfare. On Sunday, April 11, —no. 3 ñ An entrenching tool and 4 [machine gun?] sections and ² of each Co. went ñ A pack containing the greatcoat, mess to the trenches at night.“ The next day it was the turn tins, washing and shaving equipment, of the rest of the battalion to move to the trenches. spare clothing (boots, tunic, trousers, Bert wrote: shirt, socks and underwear) and a ground sheet. [C]arried 200 rounds of Mark VII kit on over ñ And a rifle. overcoats. Made us sweat like the devil, stopped Tin helmets were not issued until 1916. at DZI billets for guide, arrived at trenches at 8.

We can only guess at his thoughts and feelings as he moved into the The 1/7th Worcestershire Battalion went into the trenches. Was he excited that at last trenches for the first time as a complete unit on he would be doing what he had Saturday, 17 April. The South Midland Division had trained for? Did he finger, in his been assigned a definite section of the front line pocket, the small black elephant between the River Warnave and the Wulverhamœ attached to the lucky horseshoe–his Messines Road including Ploegsteert Wood, with the lucky piece–and wonder if his luck 144th Brigade taking over the right-hand section. Bert would hold and he would return home wrote: safely? Bert‘s diary dealt more with Sat., 17th. Packing up during morning, marched facts than emotions. to Plug Street in afternoon. No. 1 team went into His account of that memorable first position on extreme left & 2 & 4 on right did no firing during night, heard French 75 firing a lot. week in the trenches is brief: Sun., 18th. Stand to at 3.15 a.m. had no sleep all night, breakfast about 6 a.m. built latrine during morning Goodwin & myself, sniping going on Tues., 13th. Went on another gun about 1 o'clock during afternoon stood too between 7 & 8, passed in morning with D.Z.I. gun section & slept in cellar of a farm that had been shelled, sniping the night doing sentry, had no sleep. going on all night, stood to for 5 mins. at 4. Our Mon., 19th. Very quiet till 3 p.m. only sniping artillery started shelling the Germans about 9 going on about 3 we were shelled with 120 a.m., up in observation post for ² hr. at 1 p.m., pounders but nobody hurt & no damage done, 26 fired 7 rounds from a short rifle during afternoon, shells dropped after that, an attack expected but sniping very good towards night, left trenches at did not come off. Sergt. Parkes was bad, so Tip about 7.30 for billet. relieved him. Dick Boots killed, bullet in the Wed., 14th. Messed about all day. Leiut. brain. Armstrong shot thro the wrist. Tues., 20th. Heavy sniping going on all day, heavy artillery firing towards night. Tip went to Thurs., 15th. Fetched guns & tripods at 9 a.m. for have a look at the barbed wire & had a narrow Instructing Reserves, did nothing rest of day. 100 escape from being shot, rest of night only men per Company went trench-digging at night. sniping. Friday, 16th. Did nothing only resting roll call at Wed., 21st. Same as Tuesday, our aeroplanes 8 p.m. busy. Germans shelled buildings on our left during afternoon, have not had a wash in 4 days, releived by the 8th Worc & marched to Nieppe to seed growers, Victor Pouchain, & billetted in a greenhouse arrived about 1 a.m.

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 49 —Plug Street“ is the name the British Tommies gave to Bert remarked to his grandson that if the Germans had the Belgian town of Ploegsteert, which lies about two attacked his sector of the front on that memorable day miles north of Armentières and about eight miles south in April they would have broken through easily. All of Ypres. It was part of the Ypres salient that was so that the troops in this sector had to stop them with fiercely defended by British, French and Canadian were old Boer War rifles and machine guns. Most of troops throughout the four years of the war. In late the British infantry units were equipped with 1914 and the spring of 1915 there was considerable obsolescent machine guns in 1914. They were heavy,7 action around Ploegsteert. Thereafter it saw no major difficult to manoeuvre, prone to overheating and action and became a quiet sector where troops were required up to six men to operate. On one occasion, sent to recuperate and retrain. while firing at a German working party, Bert‘s machine gun would fire only single shots owing to the In a taped conversation with his grandson in 1986, cold weather. Later they acquired a —.303 converted Bert admits that on the second day in the trenches he gun.“ Gradually, as the war continued, the more experienced shell shock when a shell exploded near efficient Vickers gun and the much lighter Lewis gun him and, as a result, he had trouble sleeping whenever replaced these old guns. there was gunfire. In that same conversation, he speaks of the death of one soldier. Bert says that he had been Usually they spent a week or ten days on the front line sniping from behind a steel plate with a small hole before moving into reserve and having a break behind through which he could fire his rifle. He had been the lines. Bert mentions sniping, firing the machine using a periscope to locate a German sniper hidden in gun and being fired at by the Germans, digging a tree and had stopped because the German shot away trenches and building dugouts. He was particularly his periscope, indicating that his position had been unhappy when: located. He relates that a chap came by and stopped to Mr. Hoare came along & made us build gun poke his rifle through the hole. Bert warned him, position 1st using wet sandbags from mine to —Don‘t do that, the German can see your shadow from build it with, got wringing wet and covered with 50 yards away.“ The man ignored his warning and mud, when built had to leave as we could not fire died with a bullet in the brain. Bert was covered with from it, took up another position near Essex the man‘s brains and blood. This gruesome episode Central Farm, about sick of the job & then had to was not included in the diary; the experience was go back for the other equipment, got to bed about probably too awful to record. Many years later he 12. could talk about it. In some accounts of this episode, This sector of the Western front was relatively quiet Bert says he turned his machine gun on the tree in during May and June. Total casualties for the battalion which the sniper was hiding and fired until he saw the in April and May were five officers and 11 men killed body fall to the ground. Never did he mention his dead and 42 men wounded. Among these casualties was comrade‘s name, but in his diary, Bert records several William Ernest Parkes, the sergeant in charge of Bert‘s soldiers who died from head wounds. machine gun section: On 22 April 1915, the Germans used gas for the first After breakfast we had to change our gun for time against Canadian troops at Ypres. Several times Sergt. Parkes gun, when up at his position we were told he had been killed whilst building a the troops were warned of gas attacks but Bert, thank new gun position in the advanced trench in front goodness, never experienced one. On 1 June, the of Central Farm. The bullet struck him on one soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment received their side & came out on the other side, going through first respirators. They were very primitive–cotton his lungs. All he said was —I am hit“ & gave a batting soaked with some chemical and wrapped in a sort of cough & then sank down, he was buried in bandage to be tied over the mouth and nose. By the cemetery8 in the afternoon. September the battalion had been issued with Usually the trenches had about 18 inches of water in respirators that Bert called tube helmets. They were them that, Bert stoically said, —we had to get used to.“ hoods with eyepieces that were pulled over the head When it rained the water could be waist deep. It was and covered the shoulders. They were hot, not easy to remain clean. Arrangements were made for uncomfortable, visually restricting and probably the troops to bathe: muffled officers‘ orders. Better gas masks were Paraded at 8.20 to go to Nieppe for a bath & a developed and distributed later in the war. change. When we got to the baths we took our clothes off & took the khaki to be disinfected &

Page 50 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 went into bathroom in shirt, pants, socks & shoes a million men spread out over several hundred miles & then handed in the shirt pants & socks & had adequate food, ammunition and other necessities jumped into a big vat with the others. When we must have been difficult. Occasionally the system came out they gave us clean pants, socks & shirts broke down and Bert and his fellow soldiers found & we then marched back to Plug Street. themselves on short rations —with one loaf of bread On one occasion, they were visited at the baths by the and a one pound of meat to be shared among seven Prime Minister Asquith, and —we showed him how men for a day.“ They solved that problem by buying soldiers bathed.“ bread for tea. On the other hand, Bert really They say an army marches on its stomach. Bert Morris appreciated good food and he wrote with relish of this certainly did; he enjoyed the healthy appetite of a memorable breakfast: normal adolescent. (He celebrated his nineteenth We had a good breakfast this morning. Coffee, birthday that May.) In his daily accounts he usually Cold Ham & eggs & we had had to laugh at the mentions breakfast and often dinner (the midday meal) novelty of what the people at home would say if and occasionally tea and supper (a late evening meal). they could see us sat in a bivouac of oilsheets He grumbled if he missed dinner and on one occasion sandbags & branches eating a breakfast like that remarked, —Must say A Co did not give us too much on active service it is more like a pic-nic. food all the while.“ The logistics of ensuring that over

Figure 3 : M a p in d ic a tin g k ey lo c a tio n s Source: G oog le E a rth M oving south south, departing usually in the evening and arriving at their destination after dark. Was it to avoid observation The Worcestershire Battalions were on the move. It from enemy aircraft that these large troop movements had been decided that this section of the line would be took place at night? taken over by the new 12th Division and the 48th Division would move south to join the First Army. At noon on 27 June, Major-General Sir William The better part of 26 June was spent cleaning guns and Pulteney, Commander of the 3rd Corps, inspected the packing up. At 11:30 that night the Battalion marched troops and thanked them for the work they had done. eight miles to Bailleul, arriving there dead tired at 2:00 That evening, the Brigade marched the seven miles to a.m. For the following four days the troops marched Le Bleu. Bert remarked that —owing to it being a

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 51 Brigade march we had to stop a lot en route.“ The I had no sleep all night it was too cold so got up 10 second evening, they marched 12 miles to Robecq, at 330 and assistted Sergt Parkes make a fire. At arriving —at 10 p.m. with sore feet and done in & 6 I pulled down the bivouac, to make it warmer. Rest of the morning spent in inspections. In the billetted in a barn.“ They were on the move the next afternoon I went down the wood & stood talking day at 5 p.m., marching through Lillers to Burbure to the French & exchanging souvenirs & one of where they were billeted in a barn —among rats.“ the Frenchmen made a Hurdle11 for me. The following two weeks the battalion rested with The weather continued cold and wet and the only daily physical drills and inspections, and further shelter the troops had was what they could construct training. The first week of July was hot and A and D from brushwood. Many fell ill and some, including Companies marched six miles to a colliery for a one officer, died from exposure. shower. —But we also wanted one when we got back On 30 July, it was the turn of the 144th Brigade to owing to sweating,“ Bert observed. The troops were move to the front line trenches near Hébuterne, where issued with shades to protect their necks from the sun. the opposing lines were far apart. The Germans On 11 July, the 48th Division received orders to occupied the village of Serre about three miles south- relieve the 47th Division at Grenay. The next two days east of Hébuterne. Except for shelling there was little the 144th Brigade marched east through Hesdigneul action during the autumn. Bert‘s diary reflects this. and Noeux-les-Mines to the coal-mining area around Often the daily entry reads —quiet all day“ with the Grenay. occasional reference to firing at German working parties or at a low-flying aeroplane. Also he writes The men of the 7th Battalion spent their free time next about cleaning the guns, building gun-pits, digging day talking to soldiers of the 7th City of London 9 saps, sniping, etc. When in reserve, Bert was billeted Regiment about their experiences at Festubert. Bert in the nearby village of Courcelles-au-Bois. While noted four German observation balloons overhead and buildings in the villages near the front lines were all day long the artillery on both sides continued to heavily damaged by shelling, casualties among the fire, increasing to a heavy bombardment towards troops were light. evening. The afternoon of the following day Bert and his fellow soldiers It is evident that morale remained high, when Bert [W]ent to some houses & knocked down the wrote in mid-September: floors & roofs in front of the Reserve trenches to [W]e marched from Courcelles to Soustre in the make them unfit for use as cover for machine worst thunderstorm we have ever been in, & we guns. After tea we went & dug five trenches near were wringing wet when we arrived at billets. the same houses & finished them about 8. The more it rained on the road the more row we Hébuterne kicked up, they all seemed happy as mudlarks although wringing wet. Back at headquarters, decisions had been made that Anticipation probably rippled through the ranks on 25 British forces in France had expanded sufficiently to September, when —Officers told us we were to expect warrant the formation of a third army. This new Third an attack at any minute, owing to great British and Army would take over from the French the battlefront French advance.“ This advance was taking place at in the open country of Picardy around the River Loos12 just east of Grenay, where Bert‘s battalion had Somme and the 48th Division would be one of the been stationed for two days in July. By 19 October the units in this army. As a result, orders were issued for British and French advance had been beaten back by the 144th Brigade to return to Burbure before moving superior German forces. The front at Hébuterne south. This meant a 20-mile march at night over bad remained quiet. roads in heavy rain. After two days rest, the brigade boarded a train at Lillers station for the six-hour Between 11 and 16 October nothing is recorded in the journey to Mondicourt followed by a seven-mile diary. I think this may be the occasion when, for Bert, march to Vauchelles-L-Authie. The brigade marched something snapped. When given an order, Bert told his the next day another three miles to St. Léger-lès- sergeant to go to hell. It could be that he had had no Authie and bivouacked in a nearby wood (Bois de dinner on 10 October. He was sentenced to fourteen Warnimont) for the next 10 days. That Tuesday night days field punishment. For two hours each day he was the temperature dropped. Bert wrote: tied spread-eagled to a tree near the front lines. One can imagine the thoughts that may have flashed

Page 52 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 through his mind when, hearing six shells exploding were concerts and picture shows (movies) to attend, as nearby one day, he waited helplessly for the train-like well as the celebration of Christmas. Christmas Day roar of the next shell, thinking that it could be meant was celebrated with a special feast. for him. The rest of each day he was required to Monday, 20th. Observed as Christmas Day by the perform his duties on the double. I suspect this was Battalion. Loney played in football team & so another experience too painful to write about at the had to do most of cooking myself, had usual time. Bert described it on the tape he recorded with his breakfast, for dinner, Turkey stuffed with grandson 70 years later. sausage, Roast Beef boiled potatoes plum pudding beer followed by cigarrettes, apples & The diary resumes with the following entry: oranges, for tea we had tea & rum in it Cake Sun 17th Cooking. Had a scrap with Westbury in bread & butter Sardines Tinned pears chocolate the morning over bucket. At night turned out at & then went to concert at night at School of alarm at 6 p.m. marched through Bus & back Instruction by R.A.M.C. Troupe, we had a good home. day. For the rest of October through December, Bert and The major military event of the month, on 29 January, his good friend Bert Loney undertook (or were was a night bombing attack by the 144th Brigade. assigned) the job of cooking for the machine gun [B]ut was not an entire success as Glosters did section. Bert enjoyed it because the cook could fry his not get into the German trenches, the attack was bread in the bacon fat while preparing breakfast. He covered by our artillery fire, after the attack the wrote about making rice pudding and plum duff for German artillery started but did not hurt anybody dinner. If they could not cook in the trenches, they & next morning our chaps had hundreds of shell noses. brought rations in a —dixie“ from another company‘s cooker. Going home Heavy rain in November, especially on the 9th, 10th When Bert enlisted in the Territorial Force in 1909, he and 11th, meant bringing the machine gun into the gun agreed to serve for seven years. His period of pit at night. It also devastated the trenches: enlistment would end on 22 February 1916. Therefore the morning of February 6, Lieutenant Southon gave Friday 12th It rained all last night & it made a him a pass for the Base. Bert drew his pay of ten mess of our dug-out which rained in on both sides & also in the middle & we had to make francs and in the afternoon walked to Louvencourt. sump holes for the water, but our fireplace Frank Ison, a member of the machine gun section, somewhat compensated us for that accompanied him part of the way. After tea at the inconvenience, anyway it did not stop us Leave Barn in Louvencourt, he spent the night in an sleeping. It played the devil with the trenches —estimenet.“ Early the next morning, after receiving a causing the trench walls to fall, blocking up the movement order, he boarded a train to Gezaincourt, trenches & in other places up to our knees in where he had to wait until evening when he found a water. Ox & Bucks releived us at 10 a.m. but it place in a cattle car on a train bound for Abbeville. He rained all the while from Stand-to till we got to Courcelles & were covered with mud & drenched spent the night in a rest hut and next day hung around but felt better after changing clothes & receiving Abbeville until evening when he boarded a third class 2 parcels from home. carriage for Harfleur and Le Havre. Arriving at The arrival of cold weather the following Tuesday and Harfleur Station at 11:00 a. m. the next morning, he snow on Wednesday ended the deluge, but work on reported to No.18 Base Camp and —was put in a tent digging mud out of the trenches continued. with other time expired men & given 3 blankets.“ The highlights of the following day were a bath and a December was uneventful. The 16th Manchester change of clothing and a visit to a cinema in the Regiment arrived in Hébuterne on 8 December for evening. And the next day he enjoyed the luxury of practical instruction in trench warfare. Bert thought another bath. Ah-h-h!! they were —a decent set of chaps.“ Newly arrived in France, the men of the Manchester Regiment had Sunday, 13 February, and Monday, 14 February, he plenty of news from England and Bert remarks they was assigned fatigue duty in the officers‘ mess. It —had plenty of brewings when off sentry.“ To provide ended abruptly when Bert was given the task of some diversion, a football tournament with a washing glasses. This was probably the first time in Divisional Challenge Cup was organized. And there his life that he had handled fine crystal and, after nearly two years of digging trenches and lugging

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 53 around heavy equipment, his work-hardened hands bombardment of the German front line. Many British made short work of the wineglasses. When the shells failed to explode. A shortage of artillery guns and sergeant in charge of the officers‘ mess saw the pile of ammunition continued to hamper them. After two weeks of fighting the British had advanced one kilometre at a broken, stemless glasses, Bert was summarily cost of 16,000 casualties. The scandal over the shortage dismissed. With no fatigue the following day he 13 of artillery and shells and the high casualties caused a —swung the lead“ and attended a Lena Ashwell split in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Asquith‘s Liberal concert at the YMCA in the evening. There was more Government on 25 May 1915. Asquith became the head fatigue next day–gardening. And finally: of a new coalition government. 10 Thursday 17th. Stood by for home at 8 a.m. I think Bert meant to write Sergeant Cooper, who handed in Blankets at 9.30 & drew rations, replaced Sergeant Parkes. paraded at 11am went to General Base Camp 11 A hurdle is a movable rectangular frame of interfaced depot. At 12 marched to Docks & went on board twigs, crossed bars, or the like, as for a temporary fence. SS. Archimedes the same boat I came out on & 12 were served out with lifebelts. The Battle of Loos, 25 Septemberœ18 October 1915. French and British Armies launched a major assault on This was the last entry in Bert‘s diary. Once home in German forces on 25 September. Six British Divisions Kidderminster, Private Herbert Morris was discharged were involved in the attack between Grenay and La on 23 February 1916 with the commendation —This Bassée Canal. On the first day of the assault the British man bears an excellent character in every way.“ used poison gas for the first time and, despite heavy casualties, met with considerable success near the Many years later, in a 1987 interview with a reporter villages of Loos and Hulluch. The battle took place on with The St. George Lance, the local newspaper, Bert ground not of Britain‘s choosing and before British said that the war for him was a lot of waiting around in stocks of ammunition and heavy artillery were the mud. He said as well, —I‘m certain other men have sufficient. Reserve troops stationed too far from the front more exciting stories of the war, but I could only tell line failed to exploit early successes and on succeeding them my story.“ days the battle bogged down. Gains were minor. John Kipling, the son of author Rudyard Kipling, was one of the casualties. His death lead to his father‘s involvement in the creation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Endnotes 13 Lena Ashwell (1872œ1957). British actress and manager 1 During the 1870s, the Kidderminster School Board known as the first to organize large-scale entertainment exercised its option of enforcing compulsory school for troops at the front during World War I. attendance and made it compulsory for children under the age of thirteen. A History of Kidderminster. p. 115. 2 Bert Morris has two certificates for swimming. 3 Selected Bibliography The hamlet of Bisley gained world renown when the National Rifle Association championships of the United Gale, Richard. The Worcestershire Regiment (the 29th and Kingdom moved there from Wimbledon in 1890. Bisley 36th Regiments of Foot). 1970. hosted most of the shooting events of the 1908 Olympic Gilbert, Nigel. A History of Kidderminster. 2004. Games. 4 The Worcestershire Regiment. pp. 79œ81. Storey, Neil. —The Territorial Force Infantry Soldier.“ In Family Tree Magazine, vol. 22, no. 1 (Nov. 2005). 5 The detachable forepart of the carriage of a field gun, consisting of two wheels, an axle and a pole, etc. Websites: 6 One stone equals 14 lbs. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. http://www.cwgc.org 7 When the battalion moved to new location the machine guns were packed on limbers probably drawn by horses. The Long, Long Trail. http://www.1914-1918.net 8 Calvaire Essex Military Cemetery. Worcestershire Regiment (29th/36th of Foot). 9 http://www.worcestershireregiment.com Festubert is north of Grenay. The Battle of Festubert, 13œ26 May 1915, began with a heavy British artillery

Page 54 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009

A Discovery in Brompton Cemetery, London, England BY CAROLINE HERBERT Caroline describes how persistent digging for family roots can have its rewards. rompton Cemetery is had permission to search the plot. There are also signs one of the older asking people not to feed the pigeons and squirrels but Bc emeteries established this did not seem to deter people from feeding them! by an act of Parliament in In fact a qrey squirrel chewing on peanuts came and 1840. The original name was sat on a nearby headstone and kept me company for an the West of London and hour or so. Westminster Cemetery. It is The groundskeeper told me not to re-cover the stone situated near Earl‘s Court and and thanked me for returning the borrowed water managed by the government bottle and trowel. agency called the Royal Parks, the original land being owned by the Monarch. Though it is one of the older cemeteries, there are still interments today. In May 2001, I visited the cemetery while searching for the burial place of my maternal great-grandparents William and Sarah Gough. My godmother had taken me there in 1989 to show me the family plot, but was unable to locate it. I happened to be at the cemetery when there was a curator on duty in the office. From his computer records he was able to give me the location of the family plot; however, I was again unable to find it and had to return to the office to ask for his help. We had to copy the names of a few gravestones near where the plot was supposed to be, return to the office to check the location and again return to the area. No sign of any family gravestone. This area of the cemetery had been bombed during World War II and many of the gravesites have sunk into the ground. The actual gravesite was under a huge tree–the curator and I kicked around the leaves, twigs and soil until our feet hit something solid. He had to return to the office after having given me permission to continue searching for the gravestone. A nearby cemetery grounds keeper lent me a trowel, and with Figure 1: W illia m a n d S a ra h G o ugh ’s gra v es to n es the help of twigs and sticks I was able to reveal some Source: P hoto b y the a uthor of the stone. The stone was covered in damp earth, so I When I returned to the office I was given copies of the had to wash this away and wait for it to dry before Register of Burials for each person and a copy of the identifying the inscriptions. Finally I was able to read cemetery records showing the grave depth for each enough of the inscriptions to identify the names of the one and was informed that there was space for one family members. more person. Meanwhile various people who were out for a walk in From the gravestones I discovered that William the cemetery park kept telling me that there were signs Edward Gough was buried on 5 December 1882, and stating that no one was allowed to disturb the his wife Sarah was buried on 20 February 1888. gravesites. The groundskeeper assured everyone that I

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 55 William and Sarah Gough were my great- The Royal Parks do not allow names of people buried grandparents; one of their three daughters, Charlotte in their various cemeteries to be included in the Emily, married my paternal grandfather John National Burial Index. At Brompton Cemetery some Richards. A son, William Gough Richards, was born 3 records were lost in World War II due to the bombing. December 1897, according to his birth certificate, and There has also been some vandalism, and badly was buried 3 February 1901, aged three years. On the damaged headstones have been removed and stored in burial record his age is recorded as 13. My father, a safe area. Tours of the cemetery are led by both Cyril Gough Richards, was born in June 1900 and had parks staff and local historians. no recollection of this brother.

M y First Genealogical Post-nominal BY JOHN D. REID John is a Past-president and member of BIFHSGO‘s Hall of Fame. He continues to research genealogical sources and post them on his blog http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/. ne of the first Despite having gathered complete tombstone family history information however, I still didn‘t have a feel for my Op resentations I great-grandfather as a person; all I had were just ever gave was at a barren facts. My grandfather, orphaned at age seven, BIFHSGO Great never mentioned his father; nor did he have any family Moments December objects or documents. meeting. I talked about Things changed late in the evening of Tuesday, 23 looking for the birth June 2009. What I learned led me to contact my registration of my great- brothers and tell them about one of the disadvantages grandfather, whose name of being the family historian: sometimes you uncover I knew was Robert Reid. things people would rather not know. I asked how they It was only because my felt about that and whether they would want to know. grandfather, my father and I share the same middle The reactions were a brief —I‘m intrigued“ and a name that I was able to single him out, registered as reasoned but unenthusiastic —I guess if you‘d found a Robert Digby Reid, from other possibilities. hero or a Nobel Prize winner in the family, I‘d want to After that I made unspectacular progress in learning know about that, so, to be consistent I should know about him. He seemed to have led an unremarkable about the bad hats as well. I look forward to your reply life in north London. with a mixture of intrigue and trepidation.“ I obtained the civil registration certificates for his birth What happened on the evening of June 23rd? in January 1851 in Islington, Middlesex; his marriage I‘d been preparing an article on using online British to Eliza Lee in January 1879; the birth of their eight newspaper archives for family history. One of the best children, two of whom died in infancy; and the is the British Library archive of British Newspapers registration of his death in May 1899 in Edmonton, 1800œ1900, at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/. It con- Middlesex. tains 49 local and national titles–over two million In successive censuses from 1871 to 1891, his pages, soon to grow to three million. You can search occupation is described as clerk-bank, traveller for and view keywords in sometimes tantalizing snippets pottery, and mineral merchant‘s clerk. for free, but you have to subscribe (£6.99 for 24 hours) to see the complete article–and up to 99 others. From the censuses I could also follow his moves from Islington to South Hackney while growing up, and It was late. I was starting to get sleepy but decided to from Bethnal Green to Stamford Hill to Tottenham as try a few family names on the database before calling an adult. it an evening. I entered —Robert Digby Reid“ without any great expectations. But there were two hits, both in The last trace I had of him was a burial record on 13 the same week in July 1879, in two different London May 1899 from Tottenham Cemetery, aged 48. newspapers.

Page 56 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 In the free snippet from the Pall Mall Gazette I read: You can‘t judge history by present-day standards. —police-court, Robert Digby Reid,“ —London and According to the article, he had an annual salary of County Bank, was c“ and —is employers. From the £155–his theft was about 20 percent of that. Living evidenc.“ From a Lloyd‘s Weekly Newspaper snippet I beyond his means to that extent today, he‘d likely be read: —BANK ROBBERY BY A CLERK,“ —named dealing with the consequences of maxing out his credit Robert Digby Reid, a clerk,“ —street branch of the cards. London and Co“ and —charged at Bow-street police Thanks, I think, to digitized newspapers, I now have a court.“ better picture of one episode in my great-grandfather‘s I was no longer sleepy! And I wasn‘t likely to get any life. As there‘s no further mention of him in sleep until I‘d read the full story. newspapers, I‘d like to think he learned his lesson. But just like an indiscreet Internet posting today, online Robert Digby Reid had been charged with embezzling digitized newspapers from a bygone age mean that £30 from the bank branch on Oxford Street where he‘d long-forgotten sins, and triumphs, may be worked as a teller for 10 years. While he was on unexpectedly resurrected. vacation, it was discovered that 20 bags of silver coins for which he was responsible were each short 30 If there‘s a silver lining to the story, it‘s that I‘m now shillings. A letter was presented in evidence in which eligible to become a member of the International he admitted the crime and implored the mercy of his Black Sheep Society of Genealogists, employers, stating that he had —unhappily lived http://ibssg.org/blacksheep/, which includes the right beyond his means and had hoped to replace the sum by to add IBSSG to my post-nominals in genealogical installments.“ The prosecution asked for leniency in correspondence! the sentence. He had an otherwise good employment [Ed. note: Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal record and was recently married with a child on the initials or post-nominal titles, are letters placed after the way. Although the magistrate said he believed the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a defendant was showing real contrition, nevertheless it position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or was a very serious offence and he had to sentence him honour. Source: Wikipedia]. to four months imprisonment.

Push, Pull and Opportunity: W hy Scots Emigrated to Canada BY LUCILLE CAMPEY In this article Lucille Campey presents some of the material used in a lecture to BIFHSGO in May 2008. It uses information from her recently published book, An Unstoppable Force: the Scottish Exodus to Canada. rom the late eighteenth Scotland's elite never appreciated the extent of century a growing Canada's appeal. In a nutshell, Canada offered poor Fnumber of Scots sought and oppressed people an escape route to a better life. the better life that Canada By emigrating, people could enjoy greater prosperity offered. In doing so they had and aspire to owning their own land. There was no to resist the criticism of the pecking order in the New World. There were no ruling classes, who argued landlords demanding high rents and no factory owners that Scotland's labour force paying starvation wages for labour. They could be and armed services would free-thinking individuals seeking what was best for suffer if people emigrated in large numbers. They also their families, rather than serfs and wage slaves living had to survive a gruelling and hazardous sea crossing under an oppressive regime. People could gain in the hold of a sailing ship. They then faced great materially while enjoying the freedom and benefits of privations as they adjusted to the rigours of pioneer a more egalitarian society. And by emigrating in large life. And yet despite these difficulties, Scottish groups and settling together, they could transfer their emigration to Canada surged ahead, becoming an way of life and traditions to their new communities. unstoppable force. Poor economic prospects in Scotland, combined with

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 57 this heady mix of rewards, fuelled the zeal to emigrate. them a lifeline. Fearing another American invasion the That was why it became an unstoppable force. government dropped its opposition to emigration and took the previously unthinkable step of actually Highlanders were particularly well-represented in the endorsing a limited amount of assisted emigration. The first major influx of immigrants from Britain that Rideau Valley in eastern Upper Canada was selected began in the late 18th century. A major catalyst was as the prime area that had to be defended. Providing a the disruption caused by the introduction of large garrison of regular soldiers was out of the question for sheep farms. Evictions or the threat of evictions, cost reasons. The authorities opted instead for the together with the added problems of increasing rents cheaper measure of bringing loyal settlers to the and oppressive landlords, caused many crofters to take region. If present in sufficient numbers they could act their chances in the wilds of Canada rather than face a as a civilian defensive presence to help safeguard bleak and uncertain future in Scotland. Britain's interests. Major population centres began taking shape, first in Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. The famous ship Hector brought nearly 200 Highlanders from Inverness-shire, Sutherland and Ross-shire to Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773 and 30 years later 800 people from the Isle of Skye suddenly arrived in Prince Edward Island where, under Lord Selkirk's direction, they founded the important Belfast communities. By the 1820s Scottish settlers dominated much of Prince Edward Island, the eastern side of Nova Scotia and nearly all of Cape Breton.1 By then Nova Scotia really could live up to its name! Upper Canada (later Ontario) had to await Britain's Figure 1: P erth o n th e R iv er T a y , 18 2 8 (a rtist T hom a s defeat in the American War of Independence before it B urrow s). T he P erth m ilita ry settlem ent in the R id ea u V a lley , attracted appreciable numbers of Scots. Fearing further sp rea d a cross B a thurst, D rum m ond a nd B eck w ith tow nship s loss of territory the British government moved large in L a na rk C ounty , a ttra cted la rg e num b ers of L ow la nd ers numbers of Loyalists from the United States to from L a na rk shire a nd R enfrew shire. strategic areas of what would become Upper and Source: C ourtesy of Archiv es of O nta rio C 1 -0-0-0-2 2 Lower Canada. A key group were the Inverness-shire Given the long-standing enthusiasm for emigration in Loyalists from New York State, who began arriving in the Highlands and the fast-growing interest in the eastern Upper Canada from 1784. Their success as northwest Lowlands it was inevitable that the pioneer farmers attracted continuing streams from government would look first to Scotland to find the Inverness-shire over many decades. The communities necessary recruits. Under the first emigration scheme, that they founded in Glengarry, a place named after launched in 1815, 700 Scots were assisted to relocate their homeland estate in Scotland, would become one to eastern Upper Canada. Other schemes followed, but of North America's most important centres of by 1821 Upper Canada's prospects were considered to Highland culture. But, although Highlanders be sufficiently secure for the policy to be reversed.2 dominated the early Scottish influx to Canada, they Hence, in the following years all requests for were quickly dwarfed numerically by the much larger subsidized emigration were refused. Despite the numbers of Lowlanders, who came after 1815 when catastrophic decline of kelp manufacture in the the Napoleonic Wars ended. Western Isles, the government never relented.3 Conditions were particularly desperate in the Clyde Hundreds of begging letters and petitions flooded into region's textile districts. With the invention of the the Colonial Office but the answer was always the power loom, hand-loom weavers in the Lowlands of same. People seeking to emigrate had to find the Scotland were having to cope with redundancy and necessary funds themselves. extreme destitution. Emigration was an obvious escape As economic conditions in the Highlands and Islands route, but such was the poverty of the people that they deteriorated, landlords who had previously resisted the had no hope of financing their own removal costs. But, loss of people from their estates suddenly became Britain's near defeat in the War of 1812œ1814 gave receptive to the advantages which emigration could

Page 58 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 offer. And with the approach of a compulsory Poor Mackenzie, who heaped great odium on emigration in Law by 1845 which, for the first time, made them pursuit of domestic land reforms. legally responsible for destitute people on their estates, As editor of various newspapers and a prolific author, apprehensions grew. When famine conditions struck in Alexander Mackenzie had enormous influence in the the mid-1840s estate tenants had to rely on external Highlands. Having visited Pictou, Nova Scotia, in food aid to avoid starvation. In these dire 1880 he was aware of the great financial benefits being circumstances most landlords opted for evictions and enjoyed by fellow Highlanders who had emigrated: assisted emigration. Inevitably, this action led to the accusation that Highlanders were being forced to leave Imagine nearly 200 carriages, four-wheeled, against their will. But most people would have scattered all about outside the church. It was such appreciated that to escape their appalling and hopeless a sight as I never saw and never could have seen in the Highlands; yet here there is hardly a family conditions they had to emigrate. Countless reports which does not drive to church and market in a from family and friends told Highlanders of the better nice light wagon or carriage; but in spite of all life that Canada could offer. Thus estate tenants had a this, mistaken people at home will advise the positive motivation for accepting their landlord's poor crofter not to emigrate to a country where financial help to emigrate. such things are possible to those who came out a few years ago in a state of penury and want. 4

Figure 3 : S c o ttis h im m igra n ts o n a tra in h ea d in g w es t in 19 11 Source: C ourtesy of L ib ra ry a nd Archiv es C a na d a , W illia m Figure 2 : T h e em igra n ts s c ulp ture lo c a ted a t H elm s d a le J a m es T op ley , P A-01 03 9 1 in S uth erla n d (b y G era ld L a ing ). It com m em ora tes the And yet when he returned home to Scotland he p eop le from the H ig hla nd s a nd Isla nd s w ho em ig ra ted to the mounted a fierce campaign to halt any further fa r corners of the w orld . emigration from the Highlands. He wrote his History Source: P hotog ra p h b y G eoff C a m p ey of the Highland Clearances and in it gave emigration 5 Far from regarding themselves as hapless victims, its many monstrous demons and sorry victims. Why Scots had a remarkable knowledge of Canada's did he do this? opportunities and were highly selective in where they Mackenzie allied himself to the new political thinking, settled. Although the spotlight has fallen mainly on the which argued that the government should help people emigration which followed in the wake of the to become self-sustaining in the Highlands by giving Highland Clearances, Lowlanders actually dominated them greater security of tenure over their land and the overall exodus to Canada. Highlanders accounted offering publicly funded rejuvenation schemes. This for only 25 % of the total number of Scots who came was felt to be preferable to the large-scale clearances to Canada between 1825 and 1855. And yet the story of the 1840s and 1850s. But as various crofter schemes of Scottish emigration to Canada is preoccupied with came and went, the age-old problems of wicked landlords, forced expulsions and emotional overpopulation, poor soil and chronic poverty horror stories. This distorted picture owes much to the remained insuperable. By the early 1900s Highland machinations of Highland politicians like Alexander emigration once again resumed its steep upward climb.

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 59 When faced with a bleak and hopeless future, people them back in their homeland, Scots prospered in voted with their feet as they had done over the Canada. The combination of dire conditions in previous decades. This time they headed for the prairie Scotland together with Canada's known benefits provinces which, with the completion of the railways, created the cocktail of influences that became an were attracting a growing number of British unstoppable force. The Scottish culture that they immigrants. brought with them continues to enrich present-day Canada. In modern times John Prebble has drawn heavily on Mackenzie's writing and produced his version of wretched happenings in his book on the Highland Endnotes Clearances. But Highlanders were not the 1 For the Prince Edward Island Scots see Lucille H. downtrodden victims of landlord cruelty as portrayed Campey, —A Very Fine Class of Immigrants," Prince by Prebble and Mackenzie. A few evictions were Edward Island's Scottish Pioneers, 1770œ1850, Toronto: carried out brutally, but landlords do not deserve the Natural Heritage, 2001. For the Cape Breton and Nova abuse that has been hurled at them. Highland landlords Scotia Scots see Lucille H. Campey, After the Hector: and their tenants were overwhelmed by the growing The Scottish Pioneers of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, humanitarian crisis that enveloped them during the 1773œ1852, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2004. famine years of 1846 to 1855. The landlords faced 2 bankruptcy while the tenants endured appalling The later schemes brought Lowlanders to Lanark, poverty and near-starvation. Canada was the tenants‘ Dalhousie, North Sherbrooke and Ramsey townships only realistic hope of a better life and most would have where they founded the Lanark military settlement. For grasped the chance to emigrate. Although they faced further details of the Upper Canada military settlements enormous hurdles, privations and difficulties, the see Lucille H. Campey, The Scottish Pioneers of Upper majority became highly successful settlers. Canada, 1784œ1855– Glengarry and Beyond, Toronto: Natural Heritage, 2005. Scots came with traditions and customs that were often 3 centuries old. Highlanders committed their Gaelic Made from burnt seaweed, kelp had been used in the poems and songs to memory and passed them down manufacture of soap and glass, but by the mid-1820s it from generation to generation. Pipe bands and had virtually been wiped out by foreign alternatives, Highland gatherings perpetuate their memory, but they causing widespread unemployment and extreme poverty are modern interpretations of these ancient traditions. in the Hebridean Islands. Although the Gaelic language lived on in many parts 4 Alexander Mackenzie. "The editor in Canada series," of Canada, and still does in some areas, it was in a The Celtic Magazine, Vol. V, Inverness: A & W general state of decline by the late nineteenth century. Mackenzie, 1880, p. 72. It survived the longest in much of Cape Breton, in 5 Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, and in Bruce Alexander Mackenzie. History of the Highland County, Ontario.6 Clearances, Edinburgh: Mercat Press, 1991, [originally published in 1883]. Scots had their most stunning cultural success with 6 curling. Being "essentially democratic and When he toured Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Ontario traditionally open to all classes," curling had in 1880, Alexander Mackenzie was surprised that Gaelic immediate appeal in the New World.7 Scottish culture was still widely spoken in Scottish communities. continues to captivate people across Canada, as Alexander Mackenzie. "The editor in Canada series", evidenced by the plethora of St. Andrew's societies, Vol. V, pp. 75, 106; Vol. VII, pp. 306œ9. Burns suppers, pipe bands and other Scottish groups 7 Curling's popularity is greatest in the west, with that are enjoying increasing support in modern times. Manitoba now being Canada's principal curling centre. Most Canadian provinces even have their own official Gerald Redmond. The Sporting Scots of Nineteenth tartans, which are registered in Scotland. Set free from Century Canada, London and Toronto: Associated the stifling economic and social constraints that held University Presses, 1982, p. 121.

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BIFHSGO NEW S

Report on the BIFHSGO 2009 Annual General M eeting BY ROY THOMAS his report on our 15th AGM complements from the inception of the Society, starting with the those of the President and Directors contained very first informal conference held by the Society in Tin the yellow insert of the Summer 2009 Anglo- the Old City Hall to, at the time of writing, helping Celtic Roots. A draft of the official minutes of this distribute name badges at the monthly meetings. She AGM will appear in the Spring 2010 Anglo-Celtic has volunteered across a wide range of BIFHSGO Roots. activities from the Welcome Desk at Fall Conferences, to the BIFHSGO library, to greeting newcomers and Awards helping with the Middlemore project. John Reid was named to the BIFHSGO Hall of Fame in view of his contribution not only to the Society but Stan and Kathleen Magwood were awarded a much wider communities of genealogy and heritage. Certificate of Excellence for their efforts in producing As an innovative leader, John Reid served the Society name badges for the BIFHSGO monthly meetings and well as Past President, President, and Director of then distributing them in a friendly welcoming manner Education, as well as co-chair for programming for the for over half a decade. They have been the —face“ of 2008 Fall Conference and Marketplace Coordinator BIFHSGO for many newcomers arriving for their first for 2006 Fall Conference. He was also the project meeting. They also produced name badges for the Fall leader for the Sharpshooter book published by Conferences. BIFHSGO. Beyond BIFHSGO he served on the Carol Annett received the Award for the Best Article Library and Archives Canada Services Advisory in Anglo-Celtic Roots in 2008 for —Remembering Board and was Chair of the City of Ottawa‘s Arts, Brockville‘s Scottish Orphans“ that appeared in the Heritage and Cultural Advisory Committee. John Reid Fall 2008 issue. also shared his knowledge by resurrecting the Beginner Genealogy Courses in partnership with OGS Alison Hare received the Award for the Best while serving frequently as an instructor not only for Presentation by a member at the monthly BIFHSGO BIFHSGO but other societies. John organized county meetings, September 2008œMay 2009 inclusive for her interest groups as well as initiating the BIFHSGO talk, —The Time of Cholera“ delivered at the 14 electronic newsletter and establishing co-operative February 2009 BIFHSGO meeting. relations with other genealogy and heritage Chris MacPhail, as editor of Anglo-Celtic Roots, was organizations. A lecturer and author on genealogical invited to accept a framed copy of the journal‘s topics, he operates an internet blog called Anglo-Celtic National Genealogy Society 2008 First Place Award Connections. for best newsletter in the major genealogy society Valerie Monkhouse (member number 14) received a category. Certificate of Excellence for consistently volunteering

J o h n R eid V a lerie M o n k h o us e S ta n a n d K a th leen M a gw o o d

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 61

C a ro l A n n ett A lis o n H a re C h ris M a c P h a il

New Board for election for the first time and were acclaimed. Jane President. Acclaimed at the 2008 AGM, Mary Anne will serve as Director of Programs and Ron as the Sharpe continues the second year of her term as Recording Secretary. The Society‘s Bylaws specify President. that only four Board members can be elected in any one year. The Board will consider appointing someone Directors. Acclaimed at the 2008 AGM, Cliff Adams, to fill the vacant Director of Publicity position. Treasurer, Betty Burrows, Communications, and Sharon Moor, Membership, all continue in the second Auditor. Darrel Kennedy reported that he found that year of their second term as Directors. Margaret the financial statement prepared by the Treasurer (in Gervais and Roy Thomas, from the 2008œ2009 Board, the ACR Summer 2009 issue yellow inserts) to be a did not stand for another term, being acclaimed in the fair statement of the financial status of our Society. He 2007 AGM and due for re-election at this AGM. Brian was approved again as auditor for 2009. Glenn, also acclaimed at the 2007 AGM, agreed to Thanks. The President made a point of thanking the stand again for election to serve on the Board, now as many volunteers who give freely of their time and Director of Research. Lesley Anderson agreed to effort, often without much recognition, and who are return again to the Board for a term as Director of ultimately responsible for making BIFHSGO the Education after having served previously in that vibrant community that it is today. position. Jane Down and Ron Elliott agreed to stand

First Steps Beginners‘ Course BY BRIAN GLENN, DIRECTOR (EDUCATION) xhibition Hall —A“ at Library and Archives Chair of the Ottawa Branch, OGS, and Mary Anne Canada was packed with 64 budding Sharpe, President of BIFHSGO, we know the Eg enealogists at the 2009 edition of the First attendees are now well aware of both organizations Steps Beginners‘ Course, held on 21 March and co- and hope our respective societies will gain some new sponsored by the Ontario Genealogical Society, members. Ottawa Branch (OGS) and the British Isles Family A good number of the participants were members of History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO). the Ottawa Irish Society who had attended a short John Reid, Glenn Wright, Alison Hare and Terry introductory course on Irish genealogy the week Findley kept the crowd entertained and educated with before, which was presented by Mike More, Lesley inspiring talks on the basic rules every genealogist Anderson and Brian Glenn. must know, census records, civil registrations and To paraphrase one of the enthusiastic participants: —It places to go in the Ottawa-Gatineau area to conduct was a great crowd–and they were so attentive! All their research. had pens and notepads and they were like busy little Unlike other years, the vast majority of the participants beavers, taking notes all over the place. There was (73%) were not members of either BIFHSGO or OGS. very little talking among the crowd, usually a sure sign But with the opening addresses given by Mike More, things are going well.“

Page 62 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009 The feedback from the evaluation forms was also very Many of the participants indicated that they were keen positive, with comments such as: to follow up this course with the Next Steps program I found the info excellent and perfect for me a being offered during the BIFHSGO Fall Conference. novice; We look forward to seeing them! Terrific presentations–wealth of information. The next First Steps Beginners‘ Course has been Congratulations on your format, keeping to time scheduled for 20 March 2010 at Library and Archives schedule; and Canada. I liked everything - the microphones and being able to hear the questions was the best. Very Photographs are courtesy of J.M. Lapointe, CD professional.

T erry Fin d ley A lis o n H a re J o h n R eid G len n W righ t

Touchstones for Family Historians BY MEMBERS OF THE BIFHSGO WRITING GROUP n planning for a presentation on writing family migrations of his ancestors from Acadia, England, history for the pre-BIFHSGO conference program Ireland, Prussia and Sicily, linking their lives in the I in September, Carol Annett, Marg Burwell, United States to a 250-year history of the American Wendy Croome, Margaret Turner, Irene Ip and Betty poor. Warburton agreed that one can get some very good Colletta, John Philip. Only a Few Bones: A True ideas from published genealogical accounts. The Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy. Washington, group, therefore, compiled the following list of family DC: Direct Descent, 2000. stories, which comprises a variety of approaches to the challenge of presenting the results of one‘s research. Dramatically written, meticulously researched and Some of these authors began with only the barest facts well-documented, this page-turner, by popular about their ancestors, while others had to deal with American genealogy lecturer and author John Philip almost too much material. All of them, however, Colletta, focuses on the author‘s great-great enriched their stories with historical, geographical and grandfather, who died in mysterious circumstances in social context. a fire in Mississippi. Drawing on a variety of sources, the author recreates the time period in detail. Colletta Amato, Joseph A. Jacob‘s Well: A Case For writes, —For family historians, therefore, this book Rethinking Family History. St. Paul, Minnesota: represents a case study of how to build historical Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2008. context around an ancestral event.“ Joseph Amato, professor emeritus of history and rural Kean, Hilda. London Stories: Personal lives, public and regional studies at Southwest Minnesota Sate histories. London: Rivers Oram Publishers Limited, University, writes, —In this book, I seek to expand the 2004. historical imagination of those who wish to write family histories that have significance for national, Hilda Kean is a tutor in history at Ruskin College, economic and social history.“ Amato traces the Oxford. In London Stories, Kean creates portraits of

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 63 selected ancestors, most of whom lived for generations citizens to life by combining two or three facts from in the same neighbourhoods in East London, where their lives with his knowledge of Louisbourg‘s history. she still resides. —This book is about personal lives but For instance, a letter written in April 1731 by Marie- also about the process in which they came to be Joanne Renaut in Normandy to her fisherman-husband included within this book,“ writes Kean. For example, Charles in Ile Royale (Cape Breton) gave the author one ancestor grabbed her attention as —the first family the opportunity to speculate on the life-style of the illiterate I had found.“ couple and to delve into to the economic importance of Munro, Alice. The View from Castle Rock. Toronto: the fishing industry to France. Unfortunately the letter McClelland & Stewart, 2006. never reached Charles, for he drowned in the frigid waters off the island of Scatary in December 1730, and In this collection of stories, Canadian author Alice Marie-Joanne‘s letter found its way into the Munro combines ancestry and fiction, following Louisbourg archives and Christopher Moore‘s history. generations of her Laidlaw forebears from Scotland to Canada. Though it is not a typical family history, the Bell, Quentin. Virgina Woolf. London: The Hogarth book illustrates how a skilled writer can bring family Press, 1973. stories and ancestors vividly to life. Virginia Woolf‘s nephew, Quentin Bell, faced a Shown Mills, Elizabeth. Isle of Canes. Provo, Utah: monumental task in editing his aunt‘s diaries and MyFamily.com, Inc. 2006. letters, as well as numerous papers of the Bloomsbury Group, in order to present a readable biography. While Professional genealogist and author Elizabeth Shown this two volume opus is likely to be far beyond the Mills has crafted 30 years of historical and ancestral scope of most family historians, those who have research into a fictionalized account of four inherited diaries and letters from their ancestors can generations of free people of colour in the Cane River benefit from Bell‘s technique in combining narrative area of Louisiana. Focusing on a key person from each and excerpts. generation, the author skillfully weaves her characters‘ French, Spanish, African and Indian heritage together Grenville, Kate. 1. The Secret River. Toronto: Harper with the tumultuous history of Louisiana to tell the Collins, 2007; 2. Searching for the Secret River. story of her husband‘s forebears in an entertaining and Toronto: Harper Collins, 2007. informative way. These two books record a journey through research, Tademy, Lalita. Cane River. New York: Warner reflection and writing. The first book tells the fictional Books, 2001. tale of a London waterman, transported to Australia for theft in the early nineteenth century. In the rough Cane River is set around the same time period and in and ready life of the colony, he is able to gain his the same area in central Louisiana as Isle of Canes. freedom and lay claim to the 100 acres of land he Tademy gave up a successful career in business to desires. In the second book, Grenville tells the story of research her family history and then study creative the research behind her novel, starting with her quest writing. The book she wrote about her slave ancestors for the true history of her ancestor in London and is a highly readable, well-written novel that became a Australia. She then describes how she went about New York Times best seller and an —Oprah‘s Book turning her findings into a narrative. Club“ choice. The author used family stories, photos, family trees, historical data and her writing skill to re- Johnstone, Bernice Monrath, edited and annotated create the lives of four remarkable African-American by Patricia Ruth Roberts. Not a Pioneer! a Memoir of women through years of slavery, Civil War and Waipa and Raglan, 1871-1960. Hamilton New emancipation. Zealand: Patricia R. Roberts, 2004. Moore, Christopher. Louisbourg Portraits: Life in an When Patricia inherited her grandmother's memoirs, Eighteenth-Century Garrison Town. Toronto: which described life on New Zealand farms from 1871 McClelland and Stewart, 2000. to 1960, she knew she had to do something with "this treasure-trove of family stories." After transcribing As a researcher working at Fortress Louisbourg and arranging them in chronological order, Patricia National Historic Park during the reconstruction of researched the events and times described in the that eighteenth-century town, Christopher Moore narrative. The result is a fascinating story narrated by gained much insight into the lives of its citizens and Bernice Johnstone and supplemented by illustrations, the customs of that period from the well-preserved sidebars, footnotes, references and an index. archives of Louisbourg. He brings five of those

Page 64 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009

FAM ILY HISTORY SOURCES The Bookworm BY BETTY WARBURTON xploring the location where Deptford, Kent your ancestor was born and Kenny, John. —A Part of Deptford“ Past and Present: El ived adds another the Parish of Our Lady of Assumption. Deptford: [The dimension to that person. Slowly Parish], 1992. 942.163 KEN over the years, through donations Mills, Jennifer. St. Paul‘s Church, Deptford. London: and purchases, the number of Lewisham Local History Society, n.d. 942.163 MIL British local histories at the Brian O‘Regan Memorial Library has Steele, Jess. Turning the Tide: the History of Everyday grown. These are recent additions: Deptford. London: Deptford Forum Publishing, 1993. 942.163 STE London Poole, Dorset Leapman, Michael, editor. The Book of London: the Cullingford, Cecil N. A History of Poole. Chichester: Evolution of a Great City. New York: Weidenfeld & Phillimore & Co. Ltd, 1988. 942.337 CUL Nicolson, 1989. 942.1 LEA Miller, A. J. The Story of Poole: an Outline History Stow, John. The Survey of London. H. B. Wheatley, from Earliest Times to the Present Day. Poole: The editor. London: J. M. Dent, 1987. 942.12 STO A English Press, 1984. 942.337 MIL history and description of London written in the Elizabethan era. Photographs of Poole Jerrold, William Blanchard, and Gustave Doré. The Ashley, Harry. Poole Then and Now. Newbury: London of Gustave Doré. Ware: Wordsworth Editions, Countryside Books, 1991. 942.337 ASH 1987. 914.21081 DOR First published by Grant & Co. Beamish, Derek. An Album of Old Poole. Poole: Poole in 1872 as London: a Pilgrimage. Historic Trust, 1975. 942.337 BEA Borer, Mary Cathcart. The Story of Covent Garden. Hawkes, Andrew. Memories of Old Poole œ London: Robert Hale, 1984. 942.12 BOR Broadstone and Canford Magna: Compiled From Hibbert, Christopher. London; the Biography of a City. Postcards of Poole and District. Poole: The Author, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1969. 942.21 HIB 1982. 942.337 HAW Fiddes, Angela. The City of London: the Historic Hillier John. A Portfolio of Old Poole. Poole: Poole Square Mile. Cambridge: Pevensey Press, 1984. Historic Trust, 1983. 942.337 HIL 942.21 FID M ap of Poole Phillips, Hugh. The Thames about 1750. London: Great Britain. Ordnance Survey. Old Ordnance Survey Collins, 1951. 942.1 PHI Maps. Poole 1900. Gateshead: Alan Godfrey Maps, Milford, Anna. Ring the Bells of London Town. 1990. 912.42 ORD 43.16 Lavenham: Terence Dalton Ltd, 1978. 942.1 MIL Jersey, Channel Islands De Mare, Eric. London‘s River: the Story of a City. Glendinning, Alex. Did Your Ancestors Sign the London: The Bodley Head, 1964. 942.1 DEM Jersey Oath of Association Roll of 1696? A History of Cox, Jane. London‘s East End: Life and Traditions. the Roll and Many of the People Who Signed It. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1994. 942.15 COX Jersey: Channel Islands Family History Society, 1995. Thornbury, Walter. Old London: the Tower and East 942.341 GLE End. London: Alderman Press, 1986. 942.15 THO Stevens, Joan. Old Jersey Houses and Those Who M aps of London Lived in Them. Vol. 2. Chichester: Phillimore, 1977. London Maps Through the Ages. Cinderford: Archive 942.341 STE Vol. 2 CD Books, 2001. CD-ROM 001056.

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 65 The Printed Page BY GORDON D. TAYLOR fter a brief hiatus while we subscription to Ancestry.ca. The long-term plan is that changed our living the indexed data will be available from Library and A arrangements and made Archives Canada without charge. some concessions to health An article in the Ottawa Citizen of June 15, 2009, problems, I am back examining the —Database unveils forest of family names“ by Randy ever-growing complexity of the Boswell, provides a description of the agreement sources of genealogical infor- between LAC and Ancestry.ca and gives some mation. The number of databases examples of how the data can be used. The article available seems to expand at the rate of one or more a appeared on pages A1 and A2 of the Citizen. day. Not only are there more bases but also there are While I am on the subject of Ancestry.ca I would like more suppliers. Access to the online files varies from to commend them for opening the database of supplier to supplier. Some allow free access, others Canadian Passenger Lists 1865œ1935 free to allow a free search but charge for details, and a third Canadians on July 1, 2 and 3 to mark Canada Day. group charges from the first stroke of the keyboard. This database consists of the names, arrival date in Another factor that I have observed is the growing Canada, name of ship and port of arrival and of number of digitized databases and the fewer appearing departure. I spent the better part of a day searching the as a more traditional printed page. It should be noted, data and I found many entries that filled gaps in my however, that the printed page is itself being digitized records. as we see many examples of historic newspapers being I found the reference to the access to the passenger list offered in the new format. The ability to search for in a newsletter from Family Tree Magazine of July 2. family members in newspapers decades-old is a great Several other databases were discussed briefly in the step forward. This trend is certainly related to the role same issue. of the computer as a key factor in the finding, A source of similar passenger data was described in an recording, analyzing and writing of family history. A article —UK Immigration to Canada“ by Sherry Irvine link between the classical printed page and the new in the March 2009 issue of Genealogists‘ Magazine. digitized page is that the former has become the source Passenger lists are one of the topics that the author of information on the —what and the where“ of the discusses. The UK data cover a shorter period of time digitized material. Hence access to the printed word than do the Canadian data, with UK departures starting will remain an important element in the family in 1890. The UK data do not cover all passengers. historian‘s search for information. In a trial search of They exclude tourists and returning Canadians as well old newspapers I found an article in the Salt Lake as individuals whose final destinations were in the Tribune of 23 September 1897 that described the role USA. It is possible and interesting to do some of a family member at a battle in India. In another comparative research. database, 19th Century British Library Newspapers, I Considering the amount of information that is found a funeral report from 1 February 1894 for becoming available on passenger travel between another family member. This article was in Freeman‘s Canada and the United Kingdom, we must be vigilant Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser, Dublin, and attempt to influence the next step in the passenger Ireland, on 2 February 1894. process, which should be a standardization of terms, The censuses of Canada from 1851 to 1916 provide an methodology and access. In this process of proposed excellent example of the relationship that exists with forward planning we should be fully aware of other the provider of the data, the need to index the data, the sources, Ellis Island and Pier 21 (Halifax) to mention a indexing itself and the online source for the indexed couple. material when it is available. Library and Archives In the article in the Genealogists‘ Magazine referred to Canada (LAC) is both the provider of the census data earlier there is a reference to the work of BIFHSGO in and the repository for the original documents. connection with the Home Children database (page Ancestry.ca has become by agreement with LAC the 330). repository for the indexed data. That organization also I would be interested to learn what those who have played a major role in the indexing of the census data. worked with these new databases think of their Access to the data, except for an initial browse, is by usefulness.

Page 66 Anglo-Celtic Roots Fall 2009

BIFHSGO LISTINGS M embers‘ Surname Search BY ELIZABETH KIPP These tables enable BIFHSGO members to share in listed in Table B (match Mbr. No.). Each member may common research. If you locate one or more of the be searching several names (please be specific when names you are researching in Table A note the communicating with them). Good luck. membership number (Mbr. No.). Contact the member

TABLE A (Nam es being searched) Nam e Location Year Mbr Nam e Location Year Mbr Searched (Chapm an Code) No. Searched (Chapm an Code) No. Corley W icklow IRE 1880s 1267 Hunt ENG 1800s 1267 Grant Charlottenberg Twp 1700sœ 1236 McDonald Charlottenberg Twp 1700sœ 1236 Glengarry County, ON 1800s Glengarry County, ON 1800s CAN CAN

TABLE B (Mem bers referred to in Table A) Mbr Mem ber‘s Nam e and Address Mbr Mem ber‘s Nam e and Address No. No. 1267 C M Cornelisse, 1407 Minto Street 1236 D McDonald, 369 Oxford Street Regina, SK S4T 5J5 W innipeg, MB R3M 3H9 carcornelisse@ sasktel.net dmcd@ mts.net

Occasionally, due to a lack of space, names published Many BIFHSGO members belong to genealogy in Anglo-Celtic Roots may be restricted to six per societies that cover the areas detailed in this Members‘ individual. If this should occur, the remaining names Surname Search list. If you would like to loan your of interest will be published in a future edition. If the quarterly journals or other pertinent documents to members have Internet access and they give members with an interest in the same geographical permission, all of their names of interest are published area that you are researching, please contact them on the BIFHSGO web site at: www.bifhsgo.ca. directly and arrange to exchange information at the monthly meetings.

M embership Report BY SHARON MOOR New BIFHSGO Mem bers from 31 March to 31 July 2009 Mbr. # Nam e Address Mbr. # Nam e Address 1276 Sue Campbell Ottawa, ON 1282 Donna Oldfield Holland Landing, ON 1277 Catherine Burton Ottawa, ON 1283 Diane Bourgault Hawkesbury, ON 1278 Anne W estcott W arkworth, ON 1284 David Falconer Nepean, ON 1279 W ayne Ferguson Kemptville, ON 1285 Tania Jones Ottawa, ON 1280 Janet Baker Fredericksburg, VA 1286 Diana Thomson Toronto, ON 1281 Robert W oodland Ottawa, ON

Our membership as of 31 July is 474. This is down a This will increase again as new people join with their little from previous reports, as we have now removed registration for the Fall Conference. Please extend a from our list any persons who did not renew for 2009. warm welcome to our new members if you see them at a meeting.

Fall 2009 Anglo-Celtic Roots Page 67

LOCAL RESEARCH FACILITIES

BIFHSGO Library The Brian O‘Regan Memorial Library includes genealogical research materials and guides; political, social and local history texts; selected census indexes; British, Canadian, Australian and American family history society journals œ and more. Location: The City Archives, Bytown Pavilion, 1st floor, 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 580-2424 ext. 13333 W ebsite: www.bifhsgo.ca/library

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC) collects and preserves Canada‘s documentary heritage, making it accessible to the public. LAC has a large collection of books on genealogy as well as microfilms of many Canadian newspapers, census records, ship passenger lists, directories and other materials relevant to genealogists. Reference specialists are available to assist with research, to help use the collections and to answer questions. Location: 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 996-5115 W ebsite: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca

Fam ily History Center (LDS) The Family History Center provides access to the extensive genealogical collections and databases of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City using microfilm, microfiche, computers and volunteer advisors. Location: 1017 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 224-2231 W ebsite: www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) collects, preserves and provides public access to Québec‘s published, archival and film heritage, including civil and church registers. Archivists specialising in genealogy are available to assist users. Location: 855, boulevard de la Gappe, Gatineau, QC Tel: (819) 568-8798 W ebsite: www.banq.qc.ca/portal

Hours Readers are advised to contact the resource centres directly to confirm hours of operation.

Parking Parking is available at each research facility. Phone or check the website for parking locations and costs, if applicable.

In M emoriam Sandra M agee, Friday, 24 July 2009. BIFHSGO Member #546, Sandra enjoyed travel and researching family history; many of her trips after retirement were related to searching for elusive ancestors.

BRITISH ISLES FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY OF GREATER OTTAW A Calendar of Events Saturday Morning Meetings at Library and Archives Canada 395 W ellington Street, Ottawa Contact: 613-234-2520

Free parking on the east side of the building only

Circling the W agons Around Jack Fraser?–Brian Glenn 12 Septem ber 2009 This talk picks up the search for Brian‘s maternal Grandfather - a search he first explored at a Great Moment talk in 2004

17 October 2009 I Never Thought of That: A Second Look at Problems–Lady Mary Teviot Involved in family history research for over 35 years, Lady Teviot is President of the Federation of Family History Societies and has undertaken lecture tours in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A and South Africa.

14 Novem ber 2009 Ships, Masters and Mates–Barbara Tose Based on her research of the British Crew Agreement records held at the Maritime History Archives at Memorial University, St. Johns, Barbara will show how a seaman‘s career can be reconstructed from these records.

9 Decem ber 2009 Great Moments in Genealogy–BIFHSGO Members

Schedule: 9:00 a.m. W orkshops: Check our website for up-to-date information. 9:30 a.m. Discovery Tables 10:00œ11:30 a.m. Meeting and Presentation 12:00œ1:00 p.m. W riting Group For up-to-date information and news of other special interest groups (Scottish, Irish, DNA, Master Genealogist Users), visit the website www.bifhsgo.ca

Articles for !πû∞Ω®*ä∞Ì©vÎLΩΩ̉ Articles and illustrations for publication are welcome. For advice on preparing manuscripts, please contact: The Editor, acreditor@ bifhsgo.ca. The deadline for publication in the next issue is 17 October 2009.